Signaling apparatus and circuits



EDEN F. TOOMEY, OF NEW YORK, N. Y., AS5131GNOit T0 AMERICAN TELEPHONETELEGRAPH COMPANY, A CORPORATION 01? NEKV YORK.

AND

Application filed November as, 1919. Serial No. sealer.

T 0 all whom it may concern Be it known that 1, JOHN F. Toorr'nv,residing at New York, in the county of New York and State of New York,have invented certain Improvements in Signaling Apparatus and Circuits,of which the following is a specification.

My invention relates to signaling apparatus and circuits.

it is an object of the invention to associate the apparatus forcontrolling the supervisory signals with the toll'line circuits andtrunk circuits rather than with the toll cord circuits, and to attain,thus, a considerable saving in cost of equipment because of the factthat the number of cords in the average switchboard exceeds by far thenumber of toll lines or trunks. l utilize, moreover, a single relay-for.receiving line signals as well as the supervisory signals, arranging theapparatus such that on an incoming line signal the relay causes theresponse of the usual answering lamp, and on an incoming supervisorysignal the relay actuates thesupervisory signal device which isassociated'with the sleeve wire of the cord.

For outgoing signals I provide a relay which responds to an actuation ofthe ring ing key and causes the application of ringing current of properfrequency to the line, thus avoiding the necessity of the expensivecomposite ringing set now in common use.

A. full understanding of the invention may now be had from the followingdescription thereof having reference to the specific form of embodimentof the invention illustrated in diagrammatic view in the accompanyingdrawing.

In this drawing reference character L designates a transmission linewhich is normally connected to switchboard conductors l and 2 by meansof the back contacts of a relay B. Associated with the switchboardconductors are the usual multiple jacks J and J, and a cord circuitterminated by a plug P is provided for cooperating with the jacks. Busysignals E and E and answering lamps F and F are provided adjacent thesejacks, and a supervisory signal G is associated with the cord, thesesignals and lamps being controlled and operated by certain relays andother apparatus which cooperate in the manner which I shall now describeto accomplish the objects of the present invention.

VVhen an operator desires to ring over line L, she associates plug Pwith one of the jacks and operates the ringing key M in the usualmanner. When the plug is introduced into the jack, current flows in thesleeve circuit, part of this current being supplied by a battery 4 inseries with a resistance 6, and part by the battery 5 which is in serieswith a supervisory signal lamp G and the normally closed contacts of thetalking and ringing keys, T and M. lhe currents from the two batteriesunitejand flow through the windings of a sleeve relay 1, and amarginalrelay K to ground. The various elements of this circuit havesuch resistance that the current from battery 5 is insu'llicient tocause a glow of the filament of lamp G, whereas the com- 'bined currentof batteries 4 and 5 is of suiticient value to operate the relay 1 butinsufficient to cause the response of the marginal relay K. Relay Icloses the contact 8 and sets the busy signals E and E, the circuit ofwhich is governed by the contact 8 and by the normally closed contact 26of a relay V. When the operator actuates the ringing key M, shedisconnects battery 5 from the sleeve circuit and connects thereto,instead, bat Lery 3 which is of higher potential than batteries a and 5and connected in series with a resistance 7, the value of which issmaller than that of resistance 6. The consequent increase in thestrength of current in the sleeve circuit causes the operation of themarginal relay K, so that this relay closes at contact 9 the circuit ofthe relay B. The last-mentioned relay is thus caused to disconnect theline from the switchboard conductors and to associate therewith a sourceof ringing current, herein shown as having a frequency of 135 cycles,although current of any other suitable frequency may be used. This cur-"rent enters line L and causes .response of the ringing apparatus at thedistant station. It will. be observed that this arrangement avoids thenecessity of the composite ringer now commonly used.

The operation of the apparatus in response to a signal coming in overthe line L is as follows Relay C, bridged across switchboard conductorsl and 2, is energized by the ringing current and opens the circuit ofthe normally energized relay D. This relay applies ground to the circuitof a relay V, which oircuit extends from a battery 10 through thewinding of relay V, wire 11, contact 12 of re; lay I, contact 13 ofrelay K, and back conins-a tact 14c of relay D to ground. Relay V isthus energized and loclrs up through its contact l5 and contact'lo ofrelay 1 to ground. it simultaneously supplies current from ha"- tery 10to the answering lamps F and l and to the busy signals E and E, thusnotifying the operator the incoming signal.

When the operator responds to the ring and inserts the plug P of hercord into the corresponding jack, she causes the energizetion of relay 1in the manner explained hereinbefore. Relay 1 opens back contacts 12 and16 and breaks thus both the energizing and locking circuits of relay V.The lastmentioned relay is thus restored to its normal position, so thatthe answering lamps F.

and 5 through the winding of relay H, contact 12 of relay 1, contact 13of relay K and contact id of relay D to ground. Relay H, it will beobserved, is in a branch of the sleeve circuit in parallel with thebranch comprising relays l and K. The comparatively large volume ofcurrent now drawn from the sleeve batteries is suilicient to cause theincandescence of the filament of the lamp G, which thus gives thesupervisory signal to the operator. Relay H locks up through its con-act19 and causes lamp G to remain lit until the operator responds to thesupervisory signal by actuating the talking key T.

Although I have herein shown and described only one form and arrangementof apparatus embodying the invention, it is readily understood thatvarious changes and modifications may be made therein within the scopeof the following claims without departing from the spirit and scope ofthe invention.

hat I claim is:

1. In combination, a transmission line, a cord therefor having a sleevewire, a supervisory signal controlled by current in said wire, and meansactuated by ringing current in said line for governing the flow ofcurrent in said wire.

In combination, a transmission line, a sleeve circuit, means "forassociating said circuit with said line, a low resistance translatingdevice, a relay actuated by ringing cur *ent in said line forassociating the said device with said sleeve circuit, and a supervisorysignal governed by the change caused in the current in said sleevecircuit when said device is associated therewith.

3. In combination, a transmission line, a sleeve circuit associatedtherewith, a device responsive to ringing current in said line forincreasing the current in said circuit, and a supervisory signalresponsive to said increase of current.

4:. In combination, a transmission line, a sleeve circuit associatedtherewith, said circuit comprising a plurality of parallel branches, oneof said branches being normally open, a device responsive to ringingcurrent in the line for closing said branch, and a supervisory signalassociated with said circuit and responsive to the closure of saidbranch.

5. In combination, a transmission line, a. sleeve circuit associatedtherewith, said circuit comprising a plurality of parallel branches, oneof said branches being normally open, a translating device in anotherbranch for partially closing said normally open branch and a relayresponsive to ringing current in the line for completing the closure or"the said branch, and a supervisory signal responsive to the closure ofsaid branch.

6. In combination, a transmission line, a sleeve circuit associatedtherewith, said circuit comprising a plurality of parallel branches, oneof said branches being normally open, a self-locking relay for closingsaid branch, means responsive to ringing current in the line foroperating said relay, a supervisory signal responsive to the closure ofsaid branch, and an operators key for causing the reopening of saidbranch.

7. In combination, a transmission line, a relay responsive to ringingcurrent therein, an operators signal responsive to said relay, a sleevecircuit, a supervisory signal associated therewith, and means in saidsleeve circuit for rendering said operators signal unresponsive and saidsupervisory signal responsive to said relay.

8. In combination, a transmission line, a signal responsive to incomingsignal current on said line, a local sleeve circuit associated with saidline, an operators key for causing change of current in said circuit, arelay associated therewith responsive to said change of current andmeans responsive to said relay for disconnecting said line from saidsignal and causing the flow of signaling current over said line.

9. In combination, a transmission line, a signal responsive to incomingsignal current on said line, a local sleeve circuit associated with saidline, an operators key for augmenting the value of current in saidcircuit,.a marginal relay responsive thereto, a source of ringingcurrent, and a relay responsive to said marginal relay for disconnectingsaid line from said signal and associating said source of ringingcurrent with said line.

10. In combination, a transmission line consisting of two conductors, asignal responsive to incoming signal current on said line, a localsleeve circuit associated With said line, an operators key for causingchange of current in said sleeve circuit, a relay associated therewithresponsive to said change of current, and means responsive to said relayfor disconnecting said line from said signal and causing the flow ofsignaling current over the line comprising said two conductors.

In testimony whereof, I have signed my name to this specification this22nd day of November 1919.

JOHN F. TOOMEY.

